Wagon-reach coupling



T. H. BOLTE.

WAGON REACH COUPLING.

APPLICATION man JAN. 29. 1921.

Patented Jan. 24, 1922.

I 1 T I I I I I UNITED STATES THEODORE H. noun, or

PATENT OFFICE.

KEARNEY, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF T0 is. r. BOLTE, or CHICAGO, ILLINO S.

WAGON-sneer: COUPLING.

To. all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, THEODORE H. BoL'rE, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Kearney, in the county of Buffalo and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful improvements in FVagonReach C 011- phngs; and l'do hereby declare the followto be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. This-inventlon relates to a wagon reach coupling and is designed to eliminate the strain on the wagon reachand ad aceIitparts atthe coupling to the front axle when the front or rear axles are tipped by one of the wheels dropping into a depression or passing over an obstruction. The wagon reach is coupled to the-front axle by a pin and is held between the said axle and a member extending across and above the same, commonly known as a sand board. The reach is customarily rigidly connected to the rear axle, sothat it onset the rear wheels is depressed or elevated orthe axle transversely inclined, for any reason, a twisting strain is placed upon the wagon reach at its coupling to the front axle. This strain is transmitted to the king bolt, which usually passes through the axle and sand boardand the bolster supported on the latter and the said strain often results in breakage of the reach or other parts.

itis an object of this invention, therefore, to provide a. wagon reach coupling capable of considerable extent of angular movement of the reach to either side without placing strain upon the reach or its adjacent part.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a wagon r ach coupling without increasing the number of parts ordinarilyemployed in the wagon construction.

These and other objects and advantages oi the invention will be apparent from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the difierent views and in which Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of parts of the front axle of a wagon, the sand board and bolster, showing the wagon reach in section; I

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the axle of a wagon showing the wheels thereon and the connection of the wagon reach thereto;

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Ja 1922 Application filed January 29, 1921. Serial No. 441,066.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one end of thereach showing one form of coupling ap plied thereto;

Figs. t to T, inclusive, are sections taken through the reach at the coupling thereof with the king bolt, showing different forms oliapplicants novel coupling; and

1 Fig. 8 is a viewin side elevation of the end of the reach shown in Figs. lto 6.

lleierring to the drawings, in Fig. 2 is shown the front wheels of an ordinary work wagon. connected by the axle member 1. The wagon reach 2 is connected to the axle by a 3111;?" bolt 3, which passes through an open- 111 the end of the reach and through a hole In the axle. In Fig. 1, the axle 1 is shown somewhat enlarged and the sand board 4 is shown as supported thereabove, the bolster 5 being superposed on' the sand board 4 for swiveling lllOVGlllQIli} thereon by means of thewell known fifth'wheel construction 6. Theking bolt 3 passes through the members 4-, 5 and 6 and into the axle member 1. The wagon'reach 2 extends between members 1 and eland, in accordance with this invention, provided with an opening, the dimension oi which, in a direction longitudinally of the reach, is just slightly larger than the diameter of the king bolt, but the dimension of which, transversely of the reach, is at one portion slightly larger than the diameter of the king bolt, but which opening flares 'l romthis portion and has a much greater dimension at its other end. The opening through the reach is thus flaring or conical in transverse section.

As shown in Fig. 3, the reach may bev providedwith an end casting which extends along the sides and lower surface of the same and forms ahead portion 7 at the end of the reach. The flaring or-conical hole 8 formed through thishead portion and aeapted to receive the king bolt.

In Fig. 4., the wagon reach 2 is shown as provided with iron plates 9 at either side thereof and the opening through which the king bolt passes is formed with its smallest dimension intermediate the top and bottom of the reach and flares from this point toward the top and bottom. 7

In Fig. 5, the'reach is shown asprovided with metal plates 9 at the top and bottom thereof and the conical opening therein is shown as having its smallest dimension at the bottom portion of the reach and flares to its greatest portion at the upper side thereof.

V In Fig. 6, the reach 2. is shown as pro vided with metal plates '10 on itsuppei" and lower surfaces and these plates are providedv with swaged or flanged portions 11 which extend into the opening formed tlirough the reach, which opening is shown as formed with its smallest dimension intermediate the top and bottom surfaces of the reach and flaring to its greatest dimension at each top and-bottom surface. The plates 9 and 10, secured'to the top'and bottom surfaces of the reach, are extended some distance from the front end thereof, as shown in Fig. '8, and are secured in place by spaced nutted bolts passing through the same and the body of the reach. It will be noted that,

' in allof the forms shown, the front end of the reaclnwhich'is-disposed between members 1 and 4, is formed with curved top and bottom portions, so that" the reach can readily rock from side to side between the members 1 and 4C. The, opening through the reach is designed to permit at least'30 de-' .grees of turning movement to each side,

whichwill ordinarily be sufficient to accommodate the tilt of the axles occurring in a work wagon. The movement of the reach on the king bolt isindioated by dotted lines in Fig. 7, it being understood, of course, that the movement of the reach can continue until one side of the conical opening comes in contact with the side of the king bolt.

It is thought, from the above description, that. the operation of the I device will be clear. When one or the other of the axles istilted, no strain vwill be placed on the reach, due'to this tilting action. If the front axle is tilted, the king bolt will move in the opening 8. If the rear axle is tilted,the wagon reach will rock-between members 1 and i and no strain will be placed thereon or on the king bolt. No strain will likewise be placed on these parts, if the front axle tilts inonedirection and the rear axle tilts in the other direction. V 7

The applicant is aware that the construction 'of wagon reaches have been made to permit the tilting movement described, but such constructions have usually been more or less complicated-and added to the cost of the wagon and to the parts thereof,

From the abovedescription, it is seen that applicant has provided a wagon reach coupling of extreme simplicity, yet one which 'ishighly eflicient and of ample strength to ter shown and described and set forth in the appended claims.

. ll liat is claimed is The combination with" the? axle" and sand board of a wagon and a king boltex- V V tending tlierethrough, of a wagon reachhav-T mg an opening. formed therein of flaring shape adapted to'receive the king bolt- 2. The "combination :with the axle and sand board ofv a wagonan'd king bolt exslightly greater width than the king bolt in a direction longitudinally ofthe reach and having one dimension in a d rection trans versely of the reach slightly greater than the diameter ofthe king bolt, said opening flar ng or (llVQlglIlg. from this dimension.

A'iwagon reach member formed -at.its

end .with oppositely disposed curved surfaces andhaving a flaring opening. therethi'ough adapted to receive a king bolt;

4. A wagon reach formed at one end with oppositely disposed curved surfaces having an opening therethrough adapted to receive a king bolt to couple said reach to the front axle,- said opening being of flattened frustoconical shape ina direction transversely of the reach. V

5. A wagon reach member adapted to be disposed between the front axle and sand board of a wagon and to'b'e secured thereto by a king bolt, having an opening therethrough' adaptedto receive the king bolt,

said opening having a dimension at one point taken transversely of the reach of slightly greater diameter than the king bolt, the sides of the opening diverging outwardly from this point. i V

. A wagon reach adapted to be disposed between the front axle and sand board of a wagon and to be connected thereto by a king bolt having a metal member secured to one end thereof and having a 'headportion thereon at one end of said reach and having an opening therethrough of flattened frustoconical shape adapted to receive the king bolt. 1

'7; A wagon structure having in combination an axle, a sand board above the same and spaced therefrom, a king bolt passing vertically through said axle and sand board and a reach member disposed between said axle and sand board having a flaring-opening therein through which the king bolt passes, whereby rotating movements of the reach about its longitudinal axis are permitted.

In'testimony whereof I affix my signature Z H. T. TROUPE,

IDA M. BALL. 

